Articles about cybersecurity and data privacy written by me, Stephen Cobb, CISSP. (This site can also be reached as zcobb.com and scobb.net.) Follow me on Twitter @zcobb for more frequent security news. (All views expressed here are mine and not those of my employer.)

Sunday, November 30, 2008

Underground Data Market Tops $275 Million

The market for buying and selling stolen credit card numbers and access to financial accounts has reached the $276 million mark, according to Symantec (as reported by TechTarget).

"Symantec said the total value of the stolen data has risen sharply in recent years as spam gangs and individual phishers sell credit card information in bulk on Web forums and bulletin boards right in the public eye. The market has become so big that phishers have to fight for credibility in a seedy underground where it's common for cybercriminals to phish other phishers."

So, after we sort out the world financial crisis and the fossil fuel crisis and global warming and international terrorism, we will still have these immoral scumbags to deal with? Great!

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About Me

25 years focusing on cybersecurity and data privacy. Trying to help people enjoy technology and its benefits by working to mitigate the impact of criminals and other ‘bad actors’ in cyberspace. Trying to close the cybersecurity skills gap by encouraging women and minorities to enter the profession. Certified Information System Security Professional (CISSP) since 1996. I am fortunate to be paid to do security research by ESET, one of the world's largest security software companies. (These blog posts are mine and the views expressed in them are mine - although my employer has some pretty cool views too.)
What else? Wrote a bunch of books, started several successful companies. Produced a commercially unsuccessful but award-winning documentary about civil rights. Also strive to create greater awareness of hemochromatosis, the most common genetic killer in the Western world (that nearly killed my partner). Oh, and I'm working on a Master's degree in Security and Risk Management in the Criminology Department of the University of Leicester, England.